


Monopoly

by ScarletC



Category: IT (2017)
Genre: 2017 Pennywise, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Balloons, Canon-Typical Violence, Don't smoke kids, Gen, Georgie Denbrough Lives, Good Pennywise (IT), Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Pennywise uses male pronouns, Possessive Pennywise (IT), Swearing, The Author Regrets Nothing, Underage Smoking, off screen murder
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-20
Updated: 2020-02-21
Packaged: 2020-06-30 13:53:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19854562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScarletC/pseuds/ScarletC
Summary: Pennywise is quite proud of the being the scariest thing to spread. Causing fear is his job and one of his favorite past times.When someone tries to out do him, he takes it as a challenge. And he's gonna win; belly full with a bloody smile.





	1. Challenge

**Author's Note:**

> Uhmmm I know a) I've got a WIP waiting for me b) this movie came out 2 years ago and c)next to nothing about the book except for that infamous ending scene. If any info (besides Penny's ooc-ness) is wrong or there are typos (bc this is not beta'd!) please let me know

Pennywise knows he's the one with total control over Derry. He has more power than the town's humans know, let alone dream of. Some of them are aware of him, however consciously. Other's are not. But deep down, everyone knows Pennywise's the one in charge. He's the keeper of the town, somewhat of a protector, and-most importantly of all-he's the main fear factor. His domain is curruption, terror, and all things unpleasant. He breathes it, he lives it, and he is it. He is fear.

So when he wakes to find fear tangent enough in the air for him to taste it on every breath, he's less then happy.

Pennywise doesn't mean the average fear humans seem to carry around them like it's an accessory. Humans will scare themselves with nightmares-especially the little ones-and worries about mundane things. No. He's talking about the kind of fear that goes on for years. The kind that sticks with you. The kind inflicted by other beings.

Pennywise wonders what is it this time. Another enteity? Unlikely, since Pennywise made sure that no creature could mistake his claim on the town. He hoped it wasn't another war. The last one he was around for had been brief, as Pennywise only woke for a few days. The sounds of bombs landing above had awoken him. They hadn't landed on the town, thankfully, but it had been annoying all the same. Humans did like their wars, for some reason. Hopefully this time it was just some human causing mischief.

Pennywise's stomach gave a growl at the thought.

He decided he would take a look, and perhaps get a snack along the way.

— — —

“No!”

Pennywise paused, listening carefully as the voice echoed through the pipe. A little boy, he decided. Very, very young. Distressed. He moved in the direction of the voice.

Along the way, a few feet from where he knew where a storm drain was, he found a paper boat. S.S. Georgie. He considered it for a moment, then he saw a tiny hand reaching into the drain.

“Bill's gonna kill me.”

Pennywise wasn't an idiot. He could put two and two together.

He stepped up to the drain, somewhat accidentally scaring the boy. The boy retracted his hand like he'd been burnt and scuttled away from the railing. Pennywise adopted bright blue eyes, knowing they would soothe the boy. They did, a little.

“Hiya, Georgie,” he said, trying to put on a reassuring smile. “Is this your boat? It's a nice boat.”

It was. He'd seen plenty, if not hundreds, of paper boats. As long as they could float, he thought they were all nice.

“Yes. My brother made it…” Georgie replied, hesitant. He was speaking though, which made Pennywise smile wider.

“Where is he now?”

“In bed. He's got the cold because he was…” Georgie stopped, suddenly looking guilty.

Pennywise's eyes narrowed. “You can tell me, Georgie.” Still the boy hesitated, so Pennywise added, “I won't tell anyone. Promise.”

Georgie leaned forward, holding his hand up to the side of his mouth like he was spreading gossip. “Everyone says that he fell into a lake, but he was actually pushed into it. ”

Pennywise also leaned in to hear, his eyes going from blue to burning amber. “Who did it?”

“Victor Criss,” Georgie said, quickly and quietly, “but you can't tell anyone!”

Pennywise smiled. Georgie was a good kid to tell him. “I promised I wouldn't, Georgie, and Pennywise never breaks his promises.”

Which was true. He didn't make promises often because of how inconvenient they could become, but this one he knew he would have no trouble keeping. After all, one shouldn't speak ill of the dead.

“Pennywise..?”

“That's me! Pennywise the dancing clown!” he exclaimed with glee. “Pennywise, meet Georgie. Georgie, meet Pennywise!”

The kid giggled. Cute.

“Here,” Pennywise said, holding out the boat to Georgie, “you can have it back.”

Georgie's face lit up. “Thanks!”

“Do you want a balloon, Georgie?” Pennywise asked. “Give it to your brother. It'll cheer him up.”

“I'm not supposed to take things from strangers…” Georgie paused, then smiled. “But we're not strangers anymore!”

“Exactly.”

A balloon suddenly appeared. It's ribbon bumped into Georgie, who softly gasped. He looked up and saw the balloon slowly spin until the words ‘I heart Derry’ faced him. Georgie grabbed the ribbon before turning back to the drain.

“Well, Georgie, I've got to go,” Pennywise said, thinking of Criss and how the he would fill the clown's stomach quite nicely. “Important clown business.”

“Wait!” Georgie cried. Pennywise paused. “Will you come back?”

Not for another 8 months, but Georgie didn't need to know the exacts. “I will.” Pennywise smiled at the boy's hopeful expression. “Keep the balloon safe and I'll come back.”

Georgie nodded. He looked determined in that way only kids could be with such a minimal task.

“Bye-bye, Georgie,” Pennywise chuckled.

“Bye.”

Pennywise slinked away into the darkness.

— — —

Georgie brought the bright red balloon with him. He was estatic, so he couldn't quite understand when Bill was less so.

“Wuh-wait, Georgie. W-w-who gave you tu-t-that?”

Georgie huffed, having already told him. “Pennywise! The dancing clown. He was in the drain. I forgot to ask him why.”

Bill shook his head. He stared at the balloon, a crown on his face.

“He said he had important clown business,” Georgie continued, “but he said he'll come back if we take care of the balloon!”

Bill's frown deepened.

“…You believe me, right, Bill?” Georgie asked, shrinking in on himself. He hadn't told their parents about Pennywise, as he knew they wouldn't believe him. They were stuck in their respective little world's, their dad with work and their mother in the bottle. Didn't have much care for Georgie's ‘imagination’.

Bill smiled, then ruffled George's hair ruthfully, much to the complaint of the smaller boy. “O-of course I d-do, georgie.”

Georgie beamed, no longer minding the hand in his hair.

“W-why d-d-don't you tell me h-how she was?” Bill asked, indicating to the boat.

“She was amazing Bill!” Georgie said, instantly latching on to the new topic. “You should've seen her!”

So he regaled Bill with how fast the boat had been, clutching on to said boat and the string of the balloon with equal grips.

— — —

A few days later, Victor Criss' face would be on every corner of the town, right under the words ‘MISSING’.


	2. Life Moves On

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey sorry!!! Here's a chapter to (hopefully??) make up for it! I'm already starting the next chapter as I type this! So this chapter includes a) some swearing b) name calling c) some made up information for background characters  
> As always, this is sadly unbeta'd, any mistakes are my own, and I don't own IT or anything relating to it besides this here fanfic.

Beverly signed when she heard the restroom’s door slam. She came in here just to have some peace and quiet. It was always so loud at school, but the last day was unbearably chaotic. People rushing and yelling. It was too much.

She preferred just being by herself, having a smoke or two. Where she could stare into a wall and no one would bug her about it. A safety spot. Until a certain someone came and intruded, but Beverly digressed.

“C’mon, Beaverly, I know you’re in there,” Greta called.

She kicked the stall door. Beverly flinched. She sighed again, pulling one last drag from the cigarette before putting it out against the wall.

“I bet you had all the boys in there, slut,” Greta sneered through the wood. “Surprise they could stand the smell, considering how much of a little shit you are.”

Beverly rolled her eyes.  _ Tell me something I haven’t heard. _ What Greta had in cruelty, she lacked in creativity.

“Which is it, Greta,” Beverly said, a conversational tone that hid her tiredness, “am I a slut or a little shit?”

The sneer in Greta’s tone increased. Beverly heard water flowing. “You’re trash-”  _ oh, how original _ “-I just thought we’d remind you of that.”

Just as Greta was saying this, Beverly saw the tip of a black bag over the wall of the stall. She quickly picked up her school bag, using it as a shield against the rain of water and garbage that fell.

The smell, while awful, wasn’t as bad as the burning in Beverly’s cheeks.

“Hey look what I found!” Chirped one of Greta’s minions.

A tiny silence. Beverly worried and wondered what it was, all while wishing they would leave.

“Is that-?” Greta laughed. “Beaverly, you can use this to throw yourself a pity party!”

Something light hit the door.

“See ya later, slut!”

There was the sound of heels, a door slamming, then- _ blessedly _ -silence. Beverly took a moment to mentally collect herself.

She opened the door carefully. She poked her head out, looking for any lingering goons. When none were visible, she stepped fully out of the stall.

A red balloon was hovering in front of the stall. It twisted all on its own, showing off its cherry-redness and the words ‘I heart Derry’. Beverly stared, confused. Except for Greta and her fellow blondes, there had been no one here since the end of class. Where had it come from?

She ignored it, brushing past. The balloon turned until its words were staring at her back.

- - -

Bill watches as his notebooks and pens fall into the darkness of the trashcan.

“The best feeling ever,” Eddie said. He probably wasn't exaggerating, since his mother never let him do anything.

Richie turned to him. “Oh yeah? I know an even better feeling.” He moved his loose fist up and down in the air.

Eddie scowled. Bill and Stanley sighed.

“What do you guys wanna do tomorrow?” Stanley asked, wisely ignoring Rickie’s fanatics. “We could go to the quarry?”

“Can’t,” Richie said. “I’m starting my training tomorrow.”

“Training? In what?” Eddie asked, incredulous.

Richie replied, serious, “Street Fighter.”

Stanley sighed again.

“That’s how you wanna spend your summer? In an arcade?” Eddie asked.

“Better than in your mom, am I right?” Richie said, raising his hand for a high five at Stanley. The taller boy ignored him again.

“What about you, Bill?”

“G-Guh-Georgie w-wants to g-go to the ba-bah-barrens,” Bill said.

They stared at him.

“Is...Is it about the clown?” Eddie whispered. 

Richie shuddered.

Bill had told all of them about ‘Pennywise’ and where Georgie got the balloon. Bill didn’t really believe it and would’ve rather not have said anything. But when you got a one of a kind balloon that never deflates, your friends are gonna notice.

“God, clowns give me the freaks," Richie grumbled.

"We don't even know if it's real," Eddie said, reasonable.

Stanley nodded to over Eddie's shoulder. "If it's not, then how do you explain what happened to Victor?"

They looked over. Victor's dad was standing with the police, watching the schools front doors like a hawk. The man was once a fair blonde like his son, but Victor's sudden disappearance left him with more then a few white hairs. It looked unwashed and unkempt. Mister Criss looked thinner too, judging by how slim his arms looked even cross.

Victor's younger sister stood beside him, eyes red with tears and sleepless nights.

"They can't possibly expect to find him?" Richie asked, turning away from the sad blondes. "Can they?"

Stanley replied, "Don't know. I feel bad for Melissa."

"His sister? Yeah…" Eddie frowned.

They didn't mention any feelings for Victor. They all knew how they each felt.

"Guh-Georgie d-did ment...mention him to…" Bill reminded, lowering his voice. "P-Pennywise."

"C'mon, Billy! It's a coincidence!" Eddie whispered furtively. "A coinciden-"

Eddie was suddenly pulled into Richie by his bag. Both boys cried out as they hit the ground hard.

Bowers took Stanley's kippah, throwing it like a frisbee into a passing bus. Someone caught it with a laugh through a window.

Bill took a step back as Bowers came forward. His eyes were slightly wild around the edges.

Bowers hadn't taken Victor's disappearance well. He seemed to have lost a part of his already fragile mind. Bowers went through the town looking for him and threatened every kid to tell what they knew- _ didn't know _ -about Victor's whereabouts. When he eventually realized he wasn't going to find him, he took his anger out on the younger, helpless folks of Derry. Specifically, his favourite victims; the losers club.

Bill's cheek throbbed from where it was still harbouring a bruise as he said "B-Buh-Bowers-"

"What, B-Billy?" Bowers snarled. "Cat catch your tongue?"

Bowers grabbed Bill by his shirt, pulling him to spit in his face, "I know you know something you little freak."

Bowers said that to everyone, but it still made Bill's stomach sink. What if he knew about the balloon and Pennywise?

"I-I do-don't-"

Bowers shook him hard enough for Bill's teeth to clack painfully. "Yes you do, you fuc-"

He suddenly stopped. Bowers glowered over his shoulder, eyes sparking violently with hate.

Those eyes swirled to Bill. He leaned in close, to hiss with hot breath into his ear;

"Watch your little brat brother, B-Bill. Be a fat fucking shame if he went missing too."

With that ringing in Bill's head, Bowers dropped him unceremoniously unto the grass. He stalked off with the rest of his goons, fuming.

"Holy shit," Richie muttered.

Bill picked himself up. His heart pounded wildly, blocking all noise from his ears except for a single word carried by the wind.

_ Barrens _ .

"The barrens," Bill repeated. "Who's coming?"

"I'll go," Stanley said, rubbing his head where his elephant used to be. He frowned at where Bowers had walked off.

Eddie twitched from where he stood beside Richie. "We'll be there."

Richie muttered something under his breath about clowns.

The barrens it was.


End file.
